Anigrand Rockwell F(V)-12E USN Mach 2.5 VTOL project

[General Melchet]

Hi all, I haven't posted here for quite some time but hope to make amends by adding a few projects I've been working on recently. I managed to get this one finished within the last month to add to my growing collection of 1/72nd scale VTOL/STOL jet projects and which will hopefully feature in an upcoming book article about such projects that's underway at the moment. Apols in advance for all the text but the system the aircraft used needs a bit of explaining...

This is my take on the amazing Rockwell XFV-12A VTOL fighter of the mid seventies which never made it beyond the prototype stage, not really surprising when you consider the technological hurdles that the company faced in designing the project. The aircraft was designed as a supersonic fighter/attack machine using a "Thrust Augmenter Wing" concept. The design used a modified 30,000 lb thrust (in afterburner) Pratt & Whitney F401 engine. For vertical lift, a diverter valve in the engine exhaust system blocked the nozzle and directed the gases through ducts to ejector nozzles in the wings and canards for vertical lift. The thrust of the spanwise ejectors could be modulated by varying the diffuser angle: pitch and roll were controlled by differential variation of the four ejectors from fore to aft and left to right; yaw was controlled by differential ejector vectoring. An auxiliary engine inlet for use in vertical flight was located immediately behind the cockpit. If certain parts look familiar then that's probably because the prototype aircraft used the forward fuselage and nose gear of an A-4 and a resized centre section and intakes of an F-4 to save money, (the main gears came from a T-2 Buckeye). Unfortunately the system was flawed as the engine could only lift 75% of the weight of the aircraft in which it was mounted and even though an extensive upgrade program was considered to improve the power/weight ratio the costs were spiralling out of control until it became one of the most expensive aviation projects the US had ever undertaken. It did make a couple of tethered hovering flights using the old NASA LEM test facility which only went to validate the inherent problems with the thrust weight ratio. Needless to say the whole thing was wound up in 1978 and in retrospect should never have been given the green light...another costly 'dead end' sadly. Had it worked it would have been an amazing aircraft..it's top speed was cited to be 1595 mph...no slouch and very agile.

I've portayed it as an operational F(V)-12E of VF-191(Satans Kittens) aboard USS Oriskany for work up early 1975, (had the program gone through on time as sadly the Oriskany was decomissioned in late 1976), armed with two AIM-7's and four AIM-9G's. The Sidewinders and Sparrows are mounted in the proposed positions as stated in the Rockwell brochure, the long range tanks are from an Emhar Demon. There were several different proposals including a twin engine version and one tailored to the USMC for close support.

This model took a lot of work to be honest as all the individual control surfaces had to be cut out and then their relative positions worked out as Anigrand provide everything in flight position as a simple kit. Same goes for the wepons loadout. The dustbin lid in the exhaust is actually the sealing nozzle to prevent hot gas leaving the exhaust when diverted to the thrust augmentors in the wings, (ala Saab Viggen thrust reverser), and was closed when the slats and flaps were in the VTOL mode..

The main gear has been replaced as it was too short and over simplified and a new cockpit was used from an A-4 kit. The resin had a lot of air bubbles and bits missing as usual and a rather pebbly soapy surface texture which was a right pain to get right, but I'll be building a lot more Anigrands in the future, love 'em.

Finished using Gunze and model master paints, Flory light dirt washes, Alclad metallics, pastel and oil washes and decals from the spares box.

Although a footnote in aviation history it's still an interesting aircraft/concept and a good all round fun build.................Can I can come off the meds now nursey ! [:hobbyhorse:]

Cheers all,

Melchie

[Thorvic]

Thats a rather tasty build of the Anigrand kit, Melchie, USS Oriskany is viable as she was only reduced to reserve as they didn't have a suitable airgroup anymore as most of the next generations were optimised for the Super Carriers. Its quite likely they would have carried on until replaced by the Sea Control Ships using their new VTOL aircraft.

A great shame they selected the Rockwell over the Convair design or even the AV-16 as it would have led to a more capable Sea Harrier than the Navalised Harrier we ended up with.

So as well as the other Anigrand VTOL types are you going to look at the VTOL ASW types that were also in design at the time, one of which was based on the Mu-2 airframe from what i recall 

G

[McColm]

Great build.

[Captain Canada]

Now that is gorgeous ! Love the look of this thing...and armed to the teeth as well ! Love the wing...never knew they were actuated in that way. Something I need to do some looking in to.

As for your comments Geoff, why would that have led to a more capable Harrier ?

Off to google Convair vs. Rockwell vs. AV-16  

[General Melchet]

Thanks chaps, appreciated as ever, Geoff you're right that it's very odd that the FV-12 was given the green light over the Convair 200, especially as even the Rockwell engineers had doubts about the viability of the system, George Spangdenberg even went as far as saying that the Convair 200 came in first place because it could do the air-to-air well and possibly air-to-ground, the Harrier variant AV-16 placed second as it couldn't do the a2a mission being so slow, but had a2g capability and the thrust augmented wing FV-12 dead last since it would not be able to do either role effectively. There is a theory that it also died once it was realized that to deliver meaningful airpower the SCS concept was more vulnerable, less responsive and in fact more costly than supercarriers.

As for ASW VTOL projects I'll certainly be having a look...so much stuff to chose from !

Cheers folks,

Melch 

[sandiego89]

Welcome back, and really nice!

[Gondor]

Welcome back, and really nice!

I agree, its good to have you back General!

Gondor

[Weaver]

Splendid model Sir!    I particularly like the restrained weathering: brings out the detail without making it look unrealistically neglected.

It's a shame the XFV-12A didn't work. The ejector-lift concept is terribly seductive because, in theory, it entrains external air and makes it produce lift as well as exhaust gasses, so the net exhaust mass flow goes up while it's velocity and temperature goes down, which is just what you want. Unfortunately, the XFV-12A was just the most spectacular failure in an almost complete line of failures in trying to make the idea work in practice. The ejector-lift effect appears to be elusive and unstable in practice.

There is a theory that the XFV-12A was chosen over the Convair 200 and the AV-16 in order to deliberately discredit the Sea Control Ship theory as part of the internal war going on in the USN in the 1970s about the future direction of naval air power.

The USS Oriskany was maintained in excellent condition and during the 1980s build-up there was even talk of re-fitting her as a "light strike carrier" with a complement of USMC A-4s, the idea being that she would operate alongside a CVN, allowing the latter to carry more A-6s and F-14s instead of A-7s.

[FAR148]

Great to see your work again

Eye Candy, Pure Eye Candy 


Steven L

[comrade harps]

That is one butt-ugly plane! Love what you've done to it.   

[kerick]

Great build! It looks almost sci fi.
Its no wonder the project failed. Any good HVAC guy could tell you it would lose lots of power with all that ducting.

[Cobra]

Superb Build,General the Design has a bit of 'Gerry Anderson Flavor' to it! Tell me You Wouldn't See this in an Episode of Thunderbirds or Joe 90! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

[NARSES2]

You've done a great job with that sir